Ballygunner turn on the style to swat Passage aside in 19-point win
Ballygunner's Harry Ruddle solos forward during the first half of their JJ Kavanagh & Sons Co. Senior hurling championship first round clash played at Azzurri Walsh Park. Photo: Noel Browne
Reigning All-Ireland champions Ballygunner didn’t take long to regain their rhythm, as they easily accounted for Passage to kick off 2026 with a 19-point victory.
First half goals from Dessie Hutchinson and Eoin Cuddihy saw them shade a spirited Passage at the break, but the Gunners, inspired by a magical display from Mark Hartley, hit 0-20 after the interval to cruise home and make it 67 games unbeaten at local level.
The second-half dismissal of Dale Cullinane made a sizable mountain even insurmountable for Passage, as the Déise kingpins reeled off eleven successive points down the home stretch.
It was Passage who opened the scoring with mere seconds played as Cullinane dispossessed Paddy Leavey before finding the radar from distance. An effort short and a wide followed for the challengers, before Kevin Mahony cut inside three defenders to open Ballygunner’s account after four and a half minutes.
They soon hit the front as a beautiful move was capped off by Cormac Power. A loose hand pass from Ronan Power was then picked off by Kevin Cullinane who went for goal, but his sixth minute strike was blocked by Philip Mahony - and Tom Carey made no mistake from the requisite ‘65.
An almighty strike from well inside his own half from Pa Walsh kept Passage motoring but Ballygunner struck oil on 11 minutes. A searching ball from Fiacra Cooney was initially cut out before Mark Hartley recovered possession, and he offloaded to his right to the onrushing Dessie Hutchinson who clinically buried it to the bottom left corner.
Man of the Match Hartley then sliced a fine strike over, before an equally fine response from Mark Fitzgerald. Sean Kelly showed a clean pair of heels to set up Liam Flynn as Passage stayed alive, but Hutchinson and Hartley soon combined for the latter to double his tally.
Hutchinson notched a free before Tom Carey’s goalbound effort from a 20 yard dead ball was denied midway through the opening period. Peter Hogan played a peach of pass to tee up Hutchinson again, and Hutchinson then turned provider for goal number two on 19 minutes.
A lofted ball over the top dropped perfectly to allow Eoin Cuddihy to veer inside his marker, before gliding it along the ground past a stranded Eddy Lynch, establishing a sudden seven point cushion.
Kevin Mahony showed good feet to knock over his second, before two Carey frees brought Passage back within six. Hutchinson and Carey exchanged dead balls once more, and the Gunners led 2-08 to 0-08 at the interval. Tested, but far from phased.
An almighty fracas broke out in the opening seconds of the second period following an off the ball incident between Philip Mahony and Rory Jacob - which led to Dale Cullinane’s first yellow card.
A close range Hutchinson free resumed the scoring for the champions, before Peter Hogan got in on the act. Disaster soon struck for Passage as Cullinane went in late on Fiacra Cooney, and he duly received his marching orders on 35 minutes.
Tempers flared as Hutchinson tapped over another, before Mark Fitzgerald cut out a delivery and walloped over an inspirational strike. Hartley was then afforded room and duly punished, but Pa Walsh was able to respond in turn from distance.
An impressive long range free from Hutchinson was cancelled out by Carey, before the Club Hurler of the Year was live to another break to bring his tally to 1-7. Two from Carey kept chipping in to the lead but another from Kevin Mahony and sharp shooting from Hartley kept the Gunners nine to the good.
Carey from play was met with response by Cormac Power’s second point of the evening, and a plucky Passage refused to lie down as Fitzgerald soon struck for his third.
Ballygunner - as they so often do, then opted to put the game to bed ruthlessly. Fitzgerald’s 51st minute score was Passage’s last as the Gunners reeled off eleven points without response to finish.
Hogan wriggled free to get things started, before quickly providing another. Conor Tobin opened his account - and on 54 minutes, Hartley produced score of the game and the likely score of the championship.
A Pa Walsh sideline cannoned back off his hurl, and all in one motion the youngster blazed it straight between the uprights to shouts of awe and applause. Hartley made it look easy from distance soon after, before Power grabbed his third.
Eddy Lynch denied Hartley with a superb 58th-minute save, before he brought up his seventh from the resultant dead ball. With four minutes of additional time called, four more points drove home Ballygunner’s devastating ability. Hartley, Kevin Mahony (2) and Mikey Mahony rounded out the scoring.
A 19 point success. Normal service resumed.
Dessie Hutchinson (1-7; 0-5f); Mark Hartley (0-8; 0-1 ‘65); Kevin Mahony (0-5); Eoin Cuddihy (1-0); Cormac Power and Peter Hogan (0-3 each); Conor Tobin and Mikey Mahony (0-1 each)
Tom Carey (0-8; 0-6f; 0-1 ‘65); Mark Fitzgerald (0-3); Pa Walsh (0-2); Dale Cullinane and Liam Flynn (0-1 each)
Stephen O’Keeffe; Tadhg Foley, Fiacra Cooney, Cormac Power; Harry Ruddle, Philip Mahony, Ronan Power; Conor Sheahan, Paddy Leavey; Dessie Hutchinson, Mark Hartley, Peter Hogan, Eoin Cuddihy, Kevin Mahony, Mikey Mahony.
Eoin O’Brien for Tadhg Foley (45); Conor Tobin for Dessie Hutchinson (49)
Eddy Lynch; Eoin Power, Callum O’Neill, Tom Dalton; Pa Walsh, David Roche, Brian Cullinane; Mark Fitzgerald, Sean Cullinane; Kevin Cullinane, Liam Flynn, Tom Carey; Rory Jacob, Dale Cullinane, Sean Kelly.
Adam Roche for Eoin Power (22); Cathal O’Brien for Tom Dalton (47); Conor Drohan for Brian Cullinane (47)
Eoin Morrissey (Erin’s Own)
